The virus world has become a battle of attrition as hackers and antivirus manufacturers find more ways to outsmart the other, the former creating new malicious software that the other side counters with more effective antimalware products. The Google redirect malware is no different; its creators have intended it to infect Windows-operated computers by having their browsers link up only with spurious Internet sites. It is so virulent that it can avoid the scrutiny of most antiviral products. This step-by-step guide will help you eliminate this virus from your PC.
The Google redirect malware works by inducing the Internet browser to show you a different and oftentimes dangerous website than the one you are searching for. It may surprise you to learn that most antivirus programs have been unable to get rid of this virus, you need to terminate the virus yourself.
First of all, you will need to access the "lmhost.sam" file in your computer directory; this is the Windows system 32 file that the Google redirect malware has altered to cause the redirecting in the first place. Type the line "C:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\" in the search panel of Windows Explorer to access this file. You will see the "lmhost.sam" file opened by the Notepad application, it holds the outline of the DNS (Domain Name System) Redirect. After opening it, get rid of any Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and domain names that have been written into the "lmhost.sam" file and then save your work afterwards; this will prevent the virus from altering your Google searches any further.
To further ensure that your Google search is not changed by the Google redirect malware, you will need to modify the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) settings of your Internet browser. By doing this, you will have to see how your PC is networked or connected to the Internet by accessing the system control panel. In the "Network Connections" section, you will be able to discern how your computer is linked up to the Internet and see its TCP/IP attributes. There will be a small box placed there with the setting "Obtain an IP address automatically." Place a check mark in this box to have your computer access IP addresses by itself. This will undo the redirecting abilities of the Google redirect malware.
Also, you may need to check the settings of your Internet browser to see if the virus has changed it. If you suspect this has happened, go to the Internet browser settings and look for any alterations in it. If you see any, undo them by putting a check mark on the "no proxy server" selection. After you have done all of the previous steps, have your antivirus software do a comprehensive scan of your computer system for any traces of the Google redirect malware. They can appear as Trojans or spyware or any other form of malicious software. By doing this, you can completely eliminate the Google redirect malware from your PC.
It pays to have the right antiviral program installed in your computer. However, if you suspect that your PC is infected with something as complex as the Google redirect malware, you might need to do the cleaning yourself and then let your antivirus program do the rest afterwards.
